I don’t know where to start. I’ve been wanting to go to Attica for years, it’s internationally renowned, won countless awards and been included in the world’s 50 best restaurants for many years in a row. We finally booked a date to experience it for ourselves and it was even more incredible than I imagined. The food was phenomenal, a journey through Australian produce and native ingredients paired with a laid back and unpretentious ambiance which captures the essence of Australia in a single dining experience. Hats off.
The first dish was Ngerdi (green ants) tomatoes. I hadn’t had green ants before but they were like pops of citrus and I immediately assumed they were soaked in something citrusy. We were told later that the ants had simply been dehydrated and that fruity sourness actually was their natural flavour which was fascinating.
Pearl with quandong was like thinly sliced scallops with sweet quandong fruit over the top that emphasised the sweetness in the meat. It was delicate and served on bark which gave it a rustic feel.
Vegemite is an Australian household staple so the round biscuit tin with little freshly steamed vegemite scrolls with butter and homemade vegemite was a cute and playful touch. These were dreamy. They were served warm and were buttery, soft and salty. If only I could have a tin of those vegemite scrolls to myself with a bottle of that sensational 2009 Pegasus Riesling - I’d be in heaven.
The pumpkin salada was served over sticks of wood with a thin slice of pumpkin on top of a cracker with miso in the middle. It had a lovely texture with the combination of dry biscuit and moist pumpkin.
An imperfect history of Ripponlea was a dish where the history of the suburb Ripponlea was represented by a trio of tarts. Firstly, there was one with black sausage to represent the British owner of Ripponlea estate, Fredrick Sargood. The second tart had a jelly of matzo and schmaltz chicken soup to represent the large Jewish population. Last but not least, was the sweet tart with local indigenous ingredients like lilly pillies which were little plump and tart raisin-like berries.
The oysters cooked in the traditional way were grilled over charcoals and were delicious. They were served on cold charcoals which was a nice touch.
The chewy carrots had an interesting texture like they were partially dehydrated, kind of like fruit leather. The natural sweetness of the carrot was amplified and went well with the creamy herb dipping sauce.
The emu pate was smooth and rich, served on a slice of seeded bagel with a smear of sweet berry jam. The savoury and sweet flavours on top of the buttery toasted bagel was delicious.
Crocodiles are distinctively Australian so of course it was on the menu. The crocodile ribs were served on a white plate with a rather large knife which sparked crocodile dundee impersonations around the table ‘you call that a knife?’ We used the knife to cut between the ribs but the meat was so tender you probably didn’t even need the knife. The meat tasted like chicken but the soft bones reminded me more of a seafood. The ribs were charred and had a sweet sticky bbq marinade that was amazing.
The handpicked snow crab was served cold and tasted fresh. It was served with warm wattle bread pitas, butter and some lettuce. I loved that we used our hands for a lot of the dishes because it helps you connect with the food and that interaction and playfulness keeps you engaged, curious and adds wonder to the experience.
The red kangaroo with truganini was one of my faves. There was actually silence across our table (and if you know my family you know this is rare). It was a little parcel of peppery leaves with the lightly cured lean meat inside with a creamy yoghurt and pops of citrusy finger lime. It was a really lovely combination of textures and flavours. Loved it.
Beach potato was next. The humble potato in all its glory. It was cooked slowly for four hours and just melted in your mouth. The waitress poured some cream and herbed butter over the top, it was so good.
The marron was a show stopper. A whole marron with the meat exposed and topped with dessert lime XO on top. It was cooked to perfection and it was definitely an ‘eat with your hands’ moment.
We were whisked away from our table and taken to the backyard. There was a garden full of herbs, a clothesline with t-shirts hanging, 60’s inspired paintings on the wall, some old rock music playing in the background and a lamb spit roasting over charcoals. Then a waiter comes over with some beers and lemon aspenade (non-alcoholic) in fur covered coasters which makes this bbq backyard even more awesome. Shortly after we are handed lamb souvas with melt in your mouth meat and pickled onions in a soft fluffy pita. Souva in one hand, beer in the other, happy as can be.
We returned back to our seat for some sweetness to finish the meal. The finger lime that was spotted throughout the menu now appeared in front of us whole and unopened. The bitterness of the finger lime skin which had a fruit-leather-like texture was balanced beautifully with the sugarbag honey and complimented with the fresh cream poured over the top. You cut through the middle to reveal the precious caviar-esque pops of citrus.
We started with ants and finished on ants with the black ant lamington. It was a chocolate and coconut sorbet with a thick raspberry jam. The black ants were scattered mainly throughout the outside of the lamington. They added texture and had prickly crunchy legs.
As a last bite they had bunya bunyas which are Australian native nuts. The nut had a thin shell and was caramelised and was filled with a sweet frozen custard inside. The perfect end to this remarkable meal.
If you were thinking of visiting I definitely recommend it. It’s an experience like no other. In the simplest form in the way of a meal, it embodies all that is Australia which reminds me of how grateful and proud I am to be living in this wonderful country.
I heart Attica!
Olives x
Attica
Address: 74 Glen Eira Rd, Ripponlea VIC 3185
Website: https://www.attica.com.au
Phone: (03) 9530 0111
Trading Hours: Tue-Sat: 6am-7.30pm, Sun-Mon: closed
